Moroney furious as known drug-users stay in the force

The Police Commissioner, Ken Moroney, has told senior colleagues he is "absolutely furious" there are still known drug users in his force, despite some being identified years ago.

Mr Moroney had warned the Police Integrity Commission in 1998 that young officers in the eastern suburbs were taking illegal drugs.

And while the commission has taken the credit for starting an investigation, Operation Abelia, into drug-taking officers, a separate internal police inquiry, called Operation Tombay, has been providing it with intelligence on the same subject for the past two years.

Mr Moroney first alerted the PIC to police drug-taking while he was commander of the City East region in 1998, and continued to raise his concerns while deputy commissioner, and now as commissioner.

The head of the PIC, Terry Griffin, said yesterday that Abelia started "following evidence of illegal drug use by officers arising from a number of commission investigations".

The Police Minister, John Watkins, also insisted that Abelia was started solely by the commission. "This inquiry arose from the PIC," he said.

But the Herald has been told that information including the names of officers suspected of taking drugs was regularly given to the PIC in the past.

Many officers in the eastern suburbs had been aware of an undercover inquiry for months but knew it as one run by Special Crime and Internal Affairs.

Some of the investigation's targets are also understood to be footballers and some of the suppliers said to be eastern suburbs identities.

Operation Abelia is investigating the use of illegal drugs, including cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis, and the misuse of prescription drugs and steroids by police.

It has already conducted private hearings and will hear evidence in public some time after the October 30 deadline for submissions.

Neither Mr Watkins nor Mr Moroney would comment on how many officers had been targeted by the PIC but the Herald understands the number to be at least 10.

"To me it represents an appalling double standard, and I'm simply not going to tolerate that."

Drug-taking officers have been told to identify themselves for counselling and other treatment or face being caught and sacked.

Mr Watkins warned: "Police who ask for help now will get it, but time is running out and continued silence will cost you your job. Police who use drugs will be found, disgraced and dismissed."

One of the anti-drug plans NSW Police is considering implementing after the PIC inquiry is recalling officers on rostered days off or leave for drug testing.

The PIC is considering how to deal with test refusals, testing student officers before and after recruitment and increasing the number of random drug tests.

Mr Watkins said he did not know the extent of illegal drug use in the force. "I hope it's a not a widespread problem," he said. "But at the end of the day I don't know, that's why this investigation is ongoing and we'll know about the extent of it following the PIC's work."

The Police Association supports the PIC investigation, but urged caution when it came to officers on legitimately prescribed medication.